


and when the night sky isn’t clear, i'll use your freckles to draw out the stars

by thunderserum



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, Drunken Confessions, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hinata Shouyou & Yamaguchi Tadashi Friendship, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Tsukishima Kei is Bad at Feelings, Unrequited Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:33:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27828319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thunderserum/pseuds/thunderserum
Summary: When Kei planned on confessing to Tadashi, he hadn't plan to do it on a balcony at a college party, drunk out of his mind. He also hadn't planned on forgetting about his confession the very next day.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Haikyuu!! Ensemble/Haikyuu!! Ensemble, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Kozume Kenma/Kuroo Tetsurou, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	and when the night sky isn’t clear, i'll use your freckles to draw out the stars

Kei’s body felt like jello. 

He was definitely drunk. But he didn’t care. He needed to find Yamaguchi. 

He felt a smile break out across his face as he thought of the olive haired boy with freckles that danced across his cheeks like stars that scattered across the midnight sky. _I wonder if he knows how beautiful they are_ , he thought as he stumbled down the stairs of the crowded college apartment. The music playing throughout the building was almost defining and Kei could feel the vibrations against the walls as he leant against it to steady himself. 

When he arrived at the bottom of the stairs he felt a lazy grin pull across his lips. Yamaguchi was standing over by the couch, laughing at whatever Hinata was rambling on about in his drunken state. It was probably something to do with either volleyball, Kageyama or both. Yamaguchi’s head tilted back with each laugh and his hand self consciously flew to his mouth as if to hide it. It made a rumble of annoyance stir in Kei’s chest. _He should never hide his smile. Ever._

He felt a heavy weight bump into his shoulder, sending him falling forward with a loud _umph_. His glasses flew askew off his face and his vision blurred as he struggled to locate them. Small gasps surrounded him and if he was sober he’d probably be more embarrassed. But he wasn’t worried about him. Kei needed to find Yamaguchi.

“Shit, sorry, Tsukishima,” Kuroo mumbled, handing the blind his glasses with a slight frown. Kei waves his hand in forgiveness.

“‘S all good,” he replied, using Kuroo’s arms to help him stand up. “No harm, no foul, am I right, Roo-roo?”

Kuroo’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. This made Kei tilt his head to the side. Before Kuroo could ask what had gotten into him, Yamaguchi pushed past the black haired college student with worry written across his face. The shorter boy gripped Kei’s arms tightly, scanning his body for any injuries. The feeling of Yamaguchi’s fingers wrapped around his skin made Kei’s heartbeat speed up. His lazy grin returned with contentedness. 

“Hey, you,” he sighed, leaning into his friend’s touch. Yamaguchi’s eyebrows furrowed like Kuroo’s did. Kei mimicked him. His lips pouted out like a child’s.

“Tsukki, are you okay? You look like you fell really hard.” 

“‘M fine. Now that you’re here with me.” 

Yamaguchi frowned. “You’re acting funny. Let’s go sit outside, okay? Get some fresh air?”

All Kei could think of was to nod, letting his friend lock their fingers together as he was guided through the crowded living room and outside to the balcony. When he sat down on the cold cement, a water bottle was at level with his nose and the wonder of when Yamaguchi even grabbed it filled his brain.

“Drink,” his friend ordered. “You’ll thank me later.” 

Kei took two large sips, dramatically sighing at the refreshing taste. “Thanks, Yama.” Kei laughed, “I thanked you sooner than expected.” 

Yamaguchi rolled his eyes, but a small smile played at his lips. “You’re welcome, Tsukki.” 

The green haired boy sat Kei down on the concrete, taking a seat beside him with his legs crossed. Kei leant his head on his shoulder, ignoring the way Yamaguchi tensed up. He sighed for a third time, closing his eyes. 

The sound of the music blaring from inside the apartment was muffled, but Yamaguchi still hummed along to it softly. The sound of his voice poorly harmonizing with whatever 90s pop radio hit made Kei feel a sort of calmness that he could only experience being with his best friend. His heart wasn’t beating as fast as when Yamaguchi grabbed his arms, but it’s new rhythm, strong but steady, was still slightly faster being in the boy’s presence. 

Kei lifted his head off his friend’s shoulder. He locked his gaze on Yamaguchi’s face, his freckles in particular, drawing little consolations along his nose and cheeks in his mind. _Just like the stars._ Before he knew it, his hands were connecting with warm skin as he connected the dots with the tips of his fingers. Yamaguchi’s skin felt hot under his touch and his cheeks bloomed a deep red. He once again grew still and rigid under Kei’s hold. Kei smiled softly. 

“Wh-What are you doing?” Yamaguchi stammered, not daring to meet his friend’s gaze. Kei’s fingers gently tucked under his chin, lifting his head so they looked directly at each other. Yamaguchi nibbled on his bottom lip. 

“Have I ever told you,” Kei started, cupping Yamaguchi’s cheek with his other hand just as gently as he caressed his chin. “That you are the most beautiful person I’ve ever laid my eyes on?”

Now Yamaguchi’s skin was blazing hot. 

His mouth froze agape, his eyes hazy with confusion and his cheeks sporting a cherry red colour. He shook his head out of Kei’s grasp and turned his body away from him. His shoulders shook, despite there being no wind to make him cold and he fiddled with his fingers aggressively.

Kei frowned, tugging at his sweater sleeve. “Oi.”

Yamaguchi looked back at the blond, his bottom lip trembling and his eyes glossy with tears. Kei felt

his stomach twist. _What’d I say?_

“That’s not funny, Tsukishima.”

_Funny? Who said anything about being funny?_ “I know. That’s why it wasn’t a joke?”

It sounded more like a question than Kei had intended, but it encapsulated his confusion all the same. Why on earth would Kei refer to Yamaguchi, his person, as beautiful and _not_ mean it? Did he really come off as cold and bitter as people made him out to be? 

“Where is this coming from?”

“Does thinking you’re beautiful need to come from somewhere?”

“Y-Yes! It does!” Now Yamaguchi was glaring at him. _What_ now _?_ “You’re—You’re not acting like yourself! Are you that drunk? Because You—You sound like you’re saying things you don’t mean and it’s—Tsukki, it’s _cruel_ and—and mean and—Hey! Stop that!”

Yamaguchi smacked Kei’s hand away from his cheeks. This made the blond pout with an “Ow”. The green haired boy stood up, attempting to make way back into the apartment. He stopped in his tracks when Kei grabbed his hand. He looked down to see Kei’s brown eyes, wide and pleading. And suddenly he was 10 years old again. 

“Wait, wait. I’m sorry for making you upset. Please,” Kei mumbled with a frown. “Sit down with me again?”

And of course, Yamaguchi sat down without a second thought. 

The two boys didn’t speak for a moment, letting the muffled music and sound of raging college students fill the space between them. Kei hummed along to the music, shutting his eyes. He took a deep breath, doing his best to still his mind as best he can. It’s not like there was much going on in it anyway. Except for Yamaguchi. 

Yamaguchi rubbed his thumb across the back of Kei’s hand, going back to humming along to whatever song played throughout the apartment. The night air felt light and filled Kei’s lungs with each deep breath he took. When he closed his eyes, flashes of Yamaguchi filled his brain. His freckles, his hair, his lips, his laugh, his scent, his touch. When he was alone, his mind was just _Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi_. If he was sober, he would’ve been flushed and embarrassed and would’ve forced himself to listen to music to lull his thoughts.

He always thought about Yamaguchi. 

They were best friends, practically inseparable really, so it was only natural that they thought of each other often. At least, that’s what Kei told himself when thoughts of his green haired friend filled his mind.

“Yamaguchi?”

“Yes?”

“Can I tell you something? It’s a secret though. So you can’t tell anyone.”

Yamaguchi laughed, but nodded. “Of course, Tsukki. Scouts honour.”

Kei’s tongue felt heavy and his gut twisted with rapture. “I wasn’t lying when I said you were beautiful.” 

“I know,” Yamaguchi scratched the back of his head. “I’m sorry for getting so flustered. I just–it just caught me off guard. Th-Thank you. For saying that.”

Kei hummed. “Can I tell you another secret?”

Yamaguchi nodded.

“I think…I think that I really like you. Like you-like you. Like a little in love with you like you…”

“Oh.”

Kei looked up at him, eyes wide with what crossed between excitement and fear. Yamaguchi gave him a small smile of encouragement. “Do you—Do you think you might be a little in love with me too?”

“Tsukki,” he started, locking their fingers together. He gave his hand a tight squeeze. “I _know_ I’m a little in love with you. And when I say a little, I think I mean a lot. It’s actually a little embarrassing how much I like you.”

Kei’s lip turned up into a wide grin, his heart pounding on his stomach and blood rushing through his ears. Yamaguchi’s smile was small in return, but Kei could tell by the gleam of his eye and the blush of his cheeks that he truly meant everything he was saying. Kei intertwined his fingers with Yamaguchi, sighing when he placed his head on Kei’s shoulder. It made him happy.

Kei was happy.

* * *

Kei’s body felt like jello.

He was currently laying in bed, with a cold pack to his forehead and a heating pad on his stomach. The night prior was fuzzy and the last thing he remembered was Kuroo and Bokuto shoving shots into his hands. He was going to curse them out at volleyball practice for it. He doesn’t remember when he got home or how and the sour taste of cheap vodka lingered in the back of his throat every time he swallowed.

Kei glanced over at the clock on the side of his bedside table, squinting to read that the red light that told him it was 2:43 pm. It was Sunday and he usually was organizing his notes for the week by this time. But the pounding headache that rattled through his skull made it difficult for him to sit up for more than twenty minutes.

His phone buzzed against his nightstand and he hesitated before picking it up, wincing at the bright light that shone from the phone. Yamaguchi’s name appeared on his screen attached to a variety of mass text messages;

_Tadashi_

_Tsukki!_

_good morning!_

_or i guess afternoon lol_

_hru feeling????_

_Kei_

_Fine, I guess._

_My head hurts and my breath stinks._

_Why did you let me drink sm?_

_Tadashi_

_do not blame this on me!!!!!!_

_u were the one who wandered off with bokuto-san_

_and kuroo-san_

_ur lucky i was able to drag you home!_

_anyway_

_i’m omw over. unlock ur front door!!_

Kei groaned, shoving his face in his pillow. If Yamaguchi was already on his eay that meant he had approximately 10 minutes to make himself presentable. Not physically, Kei was never that shallow. Knowing Yamaguchi for almost half his life, he didn’t see the need in trying to look nice for the freckle faced boy. They had countless amounts of sleepovers and volleyball practices for Kei to be seen in a somewhat flattering manner.

He needed to prepare himself mentally. He couldn’t quite explain it, but Yamaguchi made him cautious of how he behaved. Kei often found himself getting lost in his deep brown eyes, or staring at the curve of his toothy smile. The ends of his hair, the way they curled always teased at him, telling him to run his fingers through it and twirl. And sometimes Kei almost goes there. His hands will be reaching out, ready to touch him. To knot his fingers in Yamaguchi’s soft, olive hair. To get close to him, close enough to kiss, to hold, to breath.

But that was only sometimes.

And it never crossed the line of almost.

Kei rubbed his eyes and got out of his bed. He walked over to his kitchen and grabbed a carton of peach juice for Yamaguchi and a bottle of water for himself along with Yamaguchi’s favourite cup. It was a small glass juice jug with frog decor. Yamaguchi has used it ever since he and Kei were in high school and when Kei moved out for university he made sure to take it along with him. Per Yamaguchi’s request, of course. Not his own.

Akaashi was sat at the kitchen table, eating an apple and looking over his English Media essay. He gave Kei a sly smile.

“Good morning,” he said, his tone brazen and teasing. 

Kei rolled his eyes, “Shut up.”

“You look like you had quite the evening.” He looked up from his laptop to give Kei a once over. The blond look disheveled and sleep deprived. “I take it the party was fun?”

Kei sat across from him, resting his hand under his chin. “You could say that.”

“Bokuto-san called me about eight times last night telling him he loved and missed me.”

“Glad to know he wasn’t as drunk as the rest of us.”

Akaashi laughed and gestured at the glass cup. “Is Tadashi-kun coming over?” When Kei nodded, Akaashi scrunched his nose.

“Why are you making that face?” He asked with a raised eyebrow.

“No reason.” Closing his laptop and putting it in his bag, Akaashi got up from the kitchen table. “Tell him I say ‘Hi’. I’m going to the uni common room to study. I’ll be back before Tadashi leaves, so of course he’s welcome to stay for dinner if he wants. Oh, by the way, it’s _Kenma’s_ turn to take the trash out tonight and I don’t care how full it gets, he needs to do his share. So don’t do it for him.”

Kei saluted him. Akaashi smiled back, walking towards the front door. When he opened it, Kei heard Akaashi say “Oh. Hello, Tadashi.”

Yamaguchi gave him a wide grin, his hands full with bags from the supermarket. Kei noticed that they had a variety of his favourite snacks. Kei felt his stomach twist in embarrassment. Akaashi let him, the grin he wore just moments ago making a return. 

“Sorry for just barging in,” Yamaguchi said, dropping the snacks on the kitchen counter. He quickly discarded his jacket and slipped into the house slippers Kei always left for him next to the rest of his and his roommates' own slippers. Kenma and Akaashi always gave him teasing smiles when they saw him organizing them, but never dared to cross the line of actually saying anything. “I hadn’t even thought about how with my hands full, I wouldn’t have been able to knock on the door! Thank goodness Akaashi-san was leaving when he did or else I would have been stuck outside forever!”

“You could have put the bags down and then rung the doorbell.”

“On the cold wet ground? No way!” Kei hadn’t noticed that Yamaguchi’s cheeks were pink, that his hair was wet or that he was sniffling. The red in his cheeks made his freckles stand out even more than usual. 

Kei cleared his throat and glanced outside the front door and saw it was drizzling. Yamaguchi elbowed his side with a cheeky grin, “Not very observant today are we, Tsukki?”

Kei rolled his eyes and grumbled under his breath, “Shut up.” He waved goodbye to Akaashi and made his way towards his bedroom. He didn’t need to tell his friend to follow him, the soft sounds of Yamaguchi’s skips trailing behind him. When Kei closed his door, he was startled with how close Yamaguchi stood so close to him. 

“Jesus. Hello to you too.”

“Aren’t you forgetting something?” The olive haired boy swung his hands behind his back and bit down on his bottom lip. Mischief danced within his eyes. 

Kei furrowed his eyebrows. 

“ _Ya know,_ ” Yamaguchi said in a taunting tone, poking Kei’s shoulder. “It has something to do with how you, oh I dunno, _greet_ a certain someone upon seeing them for the first time that day…”

Kei was confused. “Um…How are…you, today?” 

Yamaguchi’s lips curled into a fake pout. “C’mon, Tsukki. What’re you gonna make me do? Beg for it?”

“N-No…?”

“Good.” Yamaguchi then did something Kei _really_ was not expecting. He slid his hands in between Kei’s arms, around his middle, and stood up on his tippy toes with his lips puckered. Before Kei could even process what was happening, before he could ask Yamaguchi what the fuck he was doing and why he was acting the way he was, his best friend’s lips light brushed against his in a kiss so _gentle_ , so _delicate_ , yet so _loving_ that it made Kei’s insides twist into a million knots and exploded into butterflies all at once.

When Yamaguchi pulled back he was blushing, more than Kei if that was even possible, with a smile so bright and big and content that he looked like he was on Cloud 9 and beyond. Kei stood across him with his eyebrows scrunched in confusion and his mouth agape. 

Kei stammered a string of incoherent noises before finding the brain power to say, “What the _fuck_ , Tadashi?”

Yamaguchi didn’t wince at Kei’s tone or his words. In fact, he laughed at them. With a hop in his step, Kei’s friend –– could he even say that right now? –– turned towards his bed and sat down with a deep sigh. He crossed his legs over one another and just grinned at Kei for a moment before covering his face in what the blond could only interpret as embarrassment. 

“Gosh, ah! I’m sorry! I know, I know, we haven’t really talked about any of that stuff and I know I should usually ask but, _gwah_ ! I just couldn’t help myself! God, I sound like Hinata. Which isn’t surprising considering I kept him up until dawn talking about this. Oh, by the way he knows, which means Kageyama probably knows. But don’t worry! Hinata swore he’d keep it a secret. I’ve been thinking about doing, well, _that_ for a while now but oh gosh, Tsukki, ever since last night I haven’t been able to stop thinking about your lips and your smile and how they would feel so soft. And I was right. They were soft and–and warm and nice? God I probably sounds so stupid! I’ll shut up now.”

Secret? Last night? That _stuff_? And for a while? Yamaguchi kept Hinata up until dawn talking about Kei? And he thinks about Kei’s lips? He thinks they’re warm, and soft and nice?

Kei felt like an idiot. He felt really fucking stupid. And that wasn’t a very easy thing to do. He felt as though he was on one of those American reality shows where there were hidden cameras ready to jump out and yell ‘Gotcha!” while the whole nation sat from their living rooms and laughed at him. His tongue felt heavy and dry and his body felt weird. Once again, Kei’s body felt like jelly. 

Yamaguchi soon picked up on Kei’s silence and removed his hands from his eyes. His face wore an expression of worry that felt familiar, but the blond couldn’t explain why it also felt foreign. It shouldn't feel foreign. Kei’s seen that face, that expression on his best friend’s face since they were children. Yamaguchi was naturally worried. He was a worrier. But this worry was different. 

“Tsukki?”

Kei felt hot. His skin felt hot and sticky. His ears feel full and hot. Yamaguchi’s voice sounds sharp, like a knife slicing open his brain. _What the fuck is happening to me?_

“What,” he started, attempting to be calm, but the crack in his voice broke his cool exterior like ice. “On earth are you talking about, Tadashi?” 


End file.
